Religious Fundamentalism and Attitudes toward the Insanity Defense: The Mediating Roles of Criminal Attributions and Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill

Religious fundamentalism typically has been associated with negative perceptions of the insanity defense and defendants who use it. This association also has translated into verdict and sentencing decisions in insanity cases, such that higher endorsement of fundamentalist beliefs was associated with more punitive decisions. However, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between fundamentalism and insanity defense attitudes is unclear. Two...